Directors

RACHEL SEGAL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Volinist Rachel Segal has enjoyed an exciting and varied career both at home and abroad. As a performer, her career highlights include more than a decade as a member of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and posts in Europe with the Tampere Filharmonia in Finland and as Concertmaster of the Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa in Lisbon, Portugal. She is the Concertmaster of the Central City Opera and began her career as Concertmaster of the South Bend Symphony in Indiana.

A champion of new music, Ms. Segal has premiered many new works of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, and has collaborated with dancers for performances of traditional works reimagined as ballet. Ms. Segal is a member of the Fairmount String Quartet and the Media Lunas Argentine Tango Band, and performs regularly with the Philly Pops and as a substitute with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She also appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra at their 2017 Gala.

Rachel began her violin studies at age three in the Suzuki Method. As a teen she participated in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Temple University’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians, the Settlement Music School, and The New York String Orchestra Seminar. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Michigan in the studio of Paul Kantor and her Master of Music degree from The Yale School of Music in the studio of Sidney Harth. Other teachers include Jerome Wigler and Barbara Govatos.

In addition to performing, Ms. Segal is the Associate Director of the Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra, and has served on the Board of Directors of Musicopia, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and The Colorado Symphony. She lives in Fishtown with her two beagles, Abby and Sam.

KENNY BEAN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Kenny Bean began seriously studying music as a high school student when he attended the Baltimore School for the Arts. He matriculated to Oberlin Conservatory where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance, following which he completed a Master of Music Education from Jackson State University.

As a trumpeter, Kenny has enjoyed a thriving freelance career, playing with such ensembles as Mannheim Steamroller, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Soulful Symphony Orchestra, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. He can be heard on recordings with Symphony in C, the Monocacy Chamber Orchestra, and hip-hop artist Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra.

Following a desire to pass on the gift of music, Kenny has worked with a number of music education organizations, including Play on, Philly! and Settlement Music School, both of which serve Philadelphia youth. He has also taught at summer festivals, such as Kinhaven Music School and Luzerne Music Center.

In recent years, Kenny has been most fortunate to engage his passion for conducting. He has held the position of Music Director/Conductor of the Junior String Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley since 2011. He also serves as the Associate Conductor of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and Conductor for the Symphony in C Youth Orchestra. Kenny currently lives in West Philadelphia with his wife, Molly Bidlack.

Molly bidlack bean, Development director

Molly Bidlack Bean is the newest member of the Primavera Fund team and brings a new perspective to the development position, with professional experience that has been rooted equally in academics and project management. Her work in the nonprofit sector began in January of 2013, when she joined the Board of Directors of a youth orchestra to help steward that organization through transitions in leadership, program offerings and infrastructure expansion.

Molly has a BA in Anthropology from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU, an MA in Linguistic Anthropology from Hunter College, CUNY, and an MA in Human Development from Lehigh University. Her interdisciplinary background enables her address complex issues by taking into account a variety of perspectives and develop unique, comprehensive solutions. Always interested in personal development and growth, Molly recently finished certificates in nonprofit marketing and development from the Lasalle Nonprofit Center.

The daughter of two professional classical musicians, Molly studied cello seriously in her formative years. Although she chose not to pursue music professionally, she sees her music education as invaluable to her personal, social and intellectual development. Molly really enjoys working in the nonprofit sector and is thrilled to be working with The Primavera Fund, which she sees as a truly innovative way to address culture change.

Molly lives in West Philadelphia with her cats, Ashley, Sasha and Wolfgang, her husband, Kenny Bean, and still plays her cello for fun from time to time.